Receptacle for storing and dispensing nested drinking cups



Aug. 5, 1952 Filed April 19, 1950 L. R. TANSLEY RECEPTACLE FOR STORINGAND DISPENSING NESTED DRINKING CUPS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. SZze 7571@Zeg ATTOR N EY Aug. 5, 1952 f R. TANSLEY RECEPTACLE FOR STORING ANDDISPENSING NESTED DRINKING CUPS Filed April 19, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 0INVENTOR. ZesZzej'i TansZey Hyg/WM ATTORNEY lcups of various sizes.

Patented Aug. 5, 1952 accessi BECEPTACLE FOR STORING AND DISEENS- ENGNESTED DRINKING CUPS Leslie R. Tansley, Worthington, Ohio, assigner toWhite Castle System, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, a

corporation of Delaware Applic'ationApril 19, 1950, Serial No. 156,880

4 Claims.

l This invention relates to an improved receptacle for receiving,storing and individually dispensing nested articles, such as drinkingcups of paper or paperboard composition.

Such cups are produced by the manufacturers thereof in different sizes,the same varying in depth and diameter. As a result, it has beencustomary to provide dispensing receptacles for such cups in which eachreceptacle is specifically designed for the reception of drinking cupsof but one size, necessitating the employment of a number of differentdispensing receptacles for Accordingly it is the principal object of thepresent invention to provide a cup-dispensing appliance which iscap-able of holding a relatively large number of paper drinking cups innested order, with a lower yor terminal cup accessible through thebottom of the machine for lindividual Withdrawal purposes, and whereinthe machine includes a novel arrangement of cup-supporting devicesadjustable relative to each other to adapt such devices for the supportof cups varying in diameter.

Another object of the invention is to provide.

a paper cup dispensing machine employing a magazine having a base inwhich is arranged a pairroi spaced pivotally movable cup-supportingpawls occupying at all times definite positions in the base of themachine, the said pawls coacting with a similar pawl mounted on anadjustably movable carrier and capable of being moved toward and awayfrom said. iirst-named pawls, whereby to vary the spacing between saidpawls andv adapting the same thereby to cups of different diameter. j

A further object is to provide a machine for dispensing paper drinkingcups ywhich constitutes an improvement upon the construction disclosedin my prior patent, No. 2,315,827, dated April 6,1943. y

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts described in the followingspecication and illustrated in the ac.. companying drawings. I

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drinking cup dispensing device ormachine formed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken through the base of themachine;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated bythe line 3-3 of Fig. 2

(Cl. S12-43) dicated in Fig, 3;A

lsupporting pawls.

tions ofsaid pawls. n

, 2 and vdisclosing the pawls in positiontoreceive drinking cups ofmaximum diameter,

Fig. 4 is a similar view disclosing the pawls adjusted to receive andsupport drinking cups of a diameter smaller than that of the cupsin-Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the cup-V Referring to thedrawings, the numeral l designates the casing of my improvedcup-dispensing holder. The casing includes a base 2 in which ispositioned a horizontally disposed substantially rectangular frame 3.Carried by this frame are stationary and adjustable cup-supportingpawls, which will now be described.

` The rear corners of the frame 3, as shown in Fig. 3, are provided withstationary brackets A, each of said brackets including parallel sidelegs 5v which are united at their outer ends by a transverse web 6, theopposite edges of said legs terminating in laterally directed flanges 'lwhich are adapted to be welded or otherwise secured to the innersurfaces of the frame 3 contiguous to the rear corners of the latter.The legs 5 are formed with registering openings throughvwhich passes acotter-key 8, the latter passing through openings providedY in thevsidewings 9 of a plurality of pivotally movable pawls lil, each of thelatter having Aa corrugated cup-,engaging outer web Il and beingpivotally movable about the axis afforded by thesupporting cotter key 8.A leaf spring l2 isrXed at one end to each of the brack- Vthe web are soshaped as to receive the rolled or beaded upper edges I3 of'the nesteddrinkving cups indicated at Ill in the drawings. The height of the pawlsis such that each set of pawls will have direct engagement with two ormore of the drinking cups, the lower or terminal cup being disposed inengagement with the lower por- A I n association with the pair ofspring-pressed pawlsdisposed at the rear of the casing and previouslydescribedrI employ a similar pawl of the same construction and operationbut which is movable toward and away from the rear set of pawls, asdisclosed more particularly in Figs.y

3 and 4 of the drawings, the movable pawl being designated by the letterM. The Amovable pawl is carried by a bar I5 arranged within the connesof the frame 3, the ends of said bar car- 3 rying headed studs, shown atI 6, which project through elongated slots IT provided in the sidemembers of the frame 3, the length of the slots serving to determine theextent of adjustment of the movable pawl M toward and away from thestationary or fixed pawls.

To control the sliding adjustment of the bar I5, use is made of an'adjusting screw I8 which is provided at the outer end thereof with aknurled turning knob I9. The threaded shank of the screw is receivedwithin a threaded bore provided in the front leg 3a of the frame 3, and

the inner end of the screw I8 is swiveled as at 20 in the lower bar I5of the pawl M, so that by this construction, upon the rotation of thescrew I8, the lower bar may be moved back and forth to vary the positionof the movable pawl in adapting the latter to cups of differentdiameters. A light coil spring 2I may be positioned between the leg 3aand the bar I5 to maintain the adjustment of the screw I8 and saidmovable pawl. The actuating knob I9 of the screw is readily accessiblethrough the open under side of the base 2. The frame 3 at its forwardend maybe supported in connection with the base 2 by means of strapsshown at 22 and at its rear end the frame may be welded or mechanicallyfastened to contiguous rear portions of the base 2.

The base portion of the machine terminates at its upper end in anannular seat 23 in which is positioned the lower end of a plasticcupretaining tube 24, the latter being vertically positioned and ofsuitable height to retain a desired number of drinking cups in nestedorder.

In the use of the device, it is merely necessary for one seeking towithdraw a cup to engage with nger pressure the bottom or terminal cupof the nested group of cups positioned in the holder. By applyingdownward pressure to the gripped terminal cup, the latter may bewithdrawn from its supporting engagement with the pawls, the latterrocking slightly about their horizontal axes during this withdrawingoperation. iSince the cup next above the terminal cup has its beadededge disposed above the axis of turning movement l of the pawls, it willbe apparent that when a paw] is Arocked to release a terminal eupythenext upper cup will be gripped more firmly than normal by the inwardlymoving upper portions of the pawls, thus securely sustaining the entiregroup of cups during the withdrawal operation.

The apparatus is comparatively simple to manufacture and is composed ofbut few, easily accessible and strong and substantial working partswhich are not likely to become out of order or require repair. Theapparatus is thus well adapted to be produced at low cost and to becapable of Abeing operated'successfully and satisfactorily overprolonged periods of time.V The cups handled thereby are kept in anorderly manner and the construction of the device is such as to insurethe withdrawal of but one cup with each withdrawal operation.

It will be understood that my invention is subject to certain mechanicalvariations without departing from the essential operating principlesthereof or the spirit and scope of the invention as the same have beendefined in the following claims.

I reserve the right to employ such modifications as operating themachine with the use of a coin if such a modification should be sodesired.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for holding and dispensing in single order a plurality ofnested paper drinking cups comprising, a casing including anopenbottomed base member and a superposed vertical cup-storage magazine,a horizontally situated rectangular frame positioned in the bottom ofsaid base member below said magazine, a pair of circumferentially spacedinwardly extending cupsupporting pawls provided in the corners'of saidframe, a third pawl spaced -circumferentially from said first-namedpawls, and a support for said third pawl mounted on and movablelongitudinally of saidframe, whereby to adjust the third pawl relativeto said first-named pawls to adapt the complete pawl assembly for thesupport of drinking cups differing in diameter.

2. Apparatus for holding and dispensing drinking cups as speciiied inclaim 1, in combination with manually operated threaded means foradjusting the operating positions of the support of the movable pawl andmaintaining such adjustment.

3. Apparatus for holding and dispensing a plurality of nested drinkingcups disposed in Vertical order, comprising: an open-bottomed basemember carrying at the top thereof an upright tubular cup-receivingmagazine, a rectangular frame disposed within the bottom of said basemember in registry with said magazine, a pair of stationary bracketsprojecting inwardly and radially from adjoining corners of said frame, aplurality of cup-supporting pawls pivotally mounted on said brackets forturning movement about horizontal axes, spring means biasing said pawlsfor turning movement in one direction about said axes, a third pawl,bracket means slidably mounted on said frame toward and away from saidrst-named brackets, and means for maintaining the adjustment of saidsliding bracket and said third pawl to adapt the complete set of pawlsto drinking cups varying in diameter.

4. Drinking cup holding and dispensing means as specified in claim 3,and wherein manually operated threaded means are carried by said framefor adjusting and maintaining the adjustment of said slidable bracket.

LESLIE R. TANSLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,940,067 Wessman Dec. 19, 19332,315,827 Tansley Apr. 6, 1943 2,520,538 Gilbertsen Aug. 29, 1950FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 21,893 Australia Aug. 19, 1930 of1929

